Witness
by sinemoras09
Summary: She is ANBU, and she is not afraid. Anko captures Kimimaro. AU. Kimimaro x Anko. Takes place after chapter 217 episode 128 of the anime. COMPLETE.
1. A Forest of Bone

.

.

She is ANBU, and she is not afraid.

Squinting, she turns her face upwards to meet the gray-blue haze. It is a forest of bones, each thrusting upwards into the mouth of the sky.

Anko steps forward only to see Kimimaro's body slouched over the crest of bone; he's still as death but his eyelids flutter, and if Anko concentrates hard enough, she can just barely hear him breathe.

They descend on him, her ANBU team, and Anko tries not to tremble when he opens his eyes.

xXx

.

The bucket of cold water slams against his face. Kimimaro coughs, then sags, long strands of wet hair dripping over his eyes.

Anko watches behind the mirror, her jaw clenched, as the ANBU team starts to work on him. A knee to the gut; the sound of ribs cracking. A strike. Kimimaro sags and coughs up blood.

"He isn't going to tell us anything," the ANBU interrogator says. He looks up at the mirror. "Taichou?"

Anko presses the switch to the intercom. "Enough."

The interrogator bows stiffly, then leaves the room.

Anko squares her shoulders, then pushes through the heavy metal doors to Kimimaro's cell. The room is dark and the cement floor is gritty from the water and mud, and a dirty patch of light filters through the high-set windows.

Kimimaro doesn't look at her when she approaches. His body is backlit by the filthy light, and close-up he looks even more haggard than she remembers. His body heaves, and Anko can just barely see the cursed mark on his chest start to throb.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Anko says. She sets a chair in front of him and sits, the chair facing backward and leaning against her chest. "That cough you have? It's from that mark," Anko says. "The more you use it, the more your chakra tears up the lining of your lungs. Try to use it again and you'll drown in your own blood."

Kimimaro watches her stiffly, his dirt-streaked face a perfect mask. Anko leans forward.

"Let's make this easy on ourselves," Anko says. "Tell us where Orochimaru is. Then perhaps we can think about getting you more comfortable."

Kimimaro doesn't answer. She steps forward, pressing her hands against the back of the chair.

"He wants a new vessel, doesn't he?" Anko says. "I wonder how that must feel, being so easily replaced."

"Kisama," Kimimaro says.

"I know how it is," Anko says, softly. "He abandons you, he leaves you like so much trash--"

"Orochimaru-sama would not do such a thing," Kimimaro says.

"Really?" Anko says, and she pulls down the neck of her shirt.

The cursed mark throbs. Kimimaro's eyes widen slightly.

"I know what it's like to be abandoned," Anko says. "I will be here once you've come to terms with it."

She waits for a reaction - anything - but Kimimaro keeps his eyes trained resolutely on the floor.

She snaps the collar back up and stands, motioning for the guards to unlock the door.

"Let me know when you're ready to cooperate," Anko says.

Kimimaro closes his eyes.

xXx

.

Lee insists on visiting him, despite everybody's better judgment. "He was my first worthy opponent!" Lee said. He shot his fist into the air, declaring, "I will not let him down!"

Now Anko watches, perplexed, as Lee sits outside Kimimaro's cell and tries to sneak sweets past the iron bars.

"Idiot. This isn't a hospital," Anko says.

"But Kimimaro-kun is injured! He deserves visitors, just like anybody else!" Lee says. Anko huffs and allows him entrance. An ANBU guard taps Anko on the shoulder.

"What?" Anko says. The guard bows, stiffly.

"We have word," he says. "Orochimaru is making no rescue attempt. They consider the prisoner as good as dead."

"I thought as much," Anko says.

xXx

.

The light from the doorway spills onto Kimimaro's gaunt frame as Anko enters the cell. Much to her chagrin, Lee follows after her; his buggy eyes widen when Anko delivers the news.

"He isn't coming," Anko says.

"Anko-san! You are much too harsh!" Lee says.

"Quiet," Anko says. Lee's hands clench into fists.

"He was his precious person!" Lee says. "He was his reason to fight!"

"Tch." Anko turns, her heels clacking against the concrete. The door closes, but on the other side of the two-way mirror, Anko can see Lee crouching beside Kimimaro's cell. With the intercom switched off, she can't hear what he's saying, but from his gestures she knows Lee is trying his best to comfort him.

"Idiot," Anko says. She switches off the light.

xXx

.

That night, Anko has a dream.

_She is running through the forest. Kunai explode around her and Anko is thrown, pitched forward and slamming onto the ground._

_She winces, gripping her shoulder and trying to push herself upright, when a shadow falls over her. "Anko," he says, and Anko is paralyzed by the sight of Orochimaru's eyes._

_"Anko. Are you planning to commit suicide?"_

Anko jerks awake. She had fallen asleep at her post. She raises a hand and wipes the side of her mouth, glancing back at the prisoner before straightening out her clothes.

"You are having nightmares," Kimimaro says. Anko turns and sees the prisoner watching her curiously from behind his cell.

"Hmph," Anko says. Her own damn fault for falling asleep during guard duty. "How long were you watching me?"

"Not long." Kimimaro turns, and in the darkness, Anko can just barely make out the flash of white hidden under his sleeve.

Anko darts forward, fully expecting to see a weapon concealed in his palm, when she halts to a stop. There, carved on the stone walls of Kimimaro's cell, are faces; she recognizes one of them as Lee's. Kimimaro seems to read the question in her eyes.

"They are carvings," Kimimaro says.

"Carvings?" The word is thick in Anko's mouth. Her eyes follow the carvings to the small shard of bone lying in the corner, the end blunted from repeated scratchings against the stone.

"I have no intention of escaping, if that is what you think," Kimimaro says. "It is only to pass the time."

Anko strikes a match, shining a torch into Kimimaro's cell. The carvings are intricately detailed, and delicately etched; she's struck by how beautiful they look in the torchlight. She glances back at Kimimaro and frowns. He has not once tried to escape. Though his chakra was depleted and he was physically weak, Anko knew if he wanted to, Kimimaro could muster up enough bone to smash through the iron bars that held him; she wonders silently if the knowledge that Orochimaru no longer cared for him had broken his spirit, and if that's the case, how long it would be before he finally begins to cooperate.

"This cell doesn't bother you?" Anko asks, finally. Kimimaro shakes his head.

"I was raised in darkness. This cell is not unlike my home."

"Tch." Anko stands, lifting the torch. "You trouble me, Kaguya Kimimaro. I only hope you are not a waste of my time."

Anko starts to leave when she hears Kimimaro stand. "I am not a Kaguya," Kimimaro says.

"What?" Anko turns. Kimimaro is standing by the iron bars, one hand against the metal door.

"A Kaguya," Kimimaro says. "They never considered me a part of their clan."

Anko itches for an uncomfortable moment. Then she clears her throat, pressing her hand on the handle of the door.

xXx

.

The door swings open. Anko walks inside, then tosses him a book of blank paper and a few charcoal pencils. They land by Kimimaro's feet. Kimimaro looks up, surprised.

"Because we can't have you vandalizing our cell," Anko says. Kimimaro touches the notebook, uncertainly.

"What am I to do with this?" Kimimaro asks. Anko huffs, impatiently.

"I don't know, fold paper cranes or something. Figure it out," Anko says, and she turns away before he can see her blush.

The next day, Anko rounds back on the cell and isn't at all surprised when she sees the charcoal drawings littering the concrete floor. Quietly she unlocks the door and enters his cell: Kimimaro is curled up on the shabby mattress in a fitful sleep; he doesn't notice when Anko kneels beside him and gingerly picks up one of the scraps of paper.

_They never considered me a part of their clan._ Anko frowns. She remembers the report Gaara and Lee had given at the end of their encounter: how Kimimaro had been confined when he was young, and how the rest of his clan had feared him. It was no wonder he would ally himself with the likes of Orochimaru, who preyed on the insecurities and loneliness of others.

There is a strand of hair falling on Kimimaro's face, and absently Anko brushes it back with the tips of her fingers; Kimimaro stirs.

"Tch." Anko jerks her hand back, silently kicking herself. Kimimaro opens his eyes.

"Anko-san." He looks up at her, before pushing himself upright; Anko can't help but notice the large welts on Kimimaro's arms. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Anko says. Her throat is dry. She swallows, then rearranges her face into a perfect mask. "My orders are to check up on you."

Kimimaro's eyes are dim. Anko squats beside him, picking up one of the drawings from the floor.

"I don't understand," Anko says. "All you have to do is cooperate, and we can let you go. Why are you so loyal to him?" Kimimaro closes his eyes.

"Do you remember what it's like to be needed, Anko-san?" Kimimaro says. "I do. Every moment of every day."

"You let yourself be used," Anko says.

"Perhaps," Kimimaro says. "Perhaps that is just my fate."

"Tch," Anko says. She glances back at the drawings; they're dark and roughly sketched, and in the half-light she can just make out the crouched figure of a boy sitting alone in the dark. She wonders if this is supposed to be a self-portrait, and she rubs her mark, unconsciously.

"Does it hurt?"

Anko turns. Kimimaro is watching her, dark eyes probing, silently.

"What?" Anko says. Kimimaro motions to the mark on her neck, which Anko touches self-consciously.

"Sometimes," Anko says. "Sometimes the pain is almost too much to bear."

"I see," Kimimaro says. He curls back on his side, facing the wall.

xXx

.

Dark falls like a thick black curtain, and through the high metal bars, Anko can just barely make out the carved shapes on the wall. Kimimaro curls up into himself, the sharp red welts on his skin starting to fade. Anko takes a breath, then picks up her stride, walking away from the cell and determined to regain her objective.

No more fraternizing with the prisoner. No more trying to find parallels between herself and him. Anko touches the mark on her neck, then sets her jaw. _  
_

xXx

.

"Taichou!" Guards are running. They burst into her office.

"What's wrong?" Anko says.

"The prisoner! He's..." the guard's face is pale. "Taichou, you must hurry!"

Anko pushes past them, rushing down the hall.

"Shit!" Anko skids to a stop when she sees the spray of blood gushing from Kimimaro's neck.

"Move!" Anko says. She pushes past the medic nins and yanks Kimimaro up by the shoulders.

Kimimaro's eyes have rolled back. Quickly Anko shoves chakra into the wound.

The chakra pulses. Kimimaro breathes.

xXx

.

He had tried to kill himself to keep from leaking information. Apparently the torture was almost enough to get him to talk, and so to prevent himself from saying anything, he had taken a shard of bone and taken things into his own hands. It would have worked were it not for the medic nin stationed nearby.

"Idiot," Anko says. "Trying to kill yourself to save him. He doesn't even care."

She searches his face, but Kimimaro's eyes are trained onto the floor.

"Oi," Anko says. "Look at me."

Kimimaro raises his eyes. She leans forward, invading his space.

"He abandoned you," Anko says. "Why are you still helping him?"

Kimimaro doesn't answer.

Outside the cell, Anko can hear the soft sounds of ANBU guards speaking quietly among themselves, and the footsteps echoing down the hall. She glances up at Kimimaro's face, which is twisted and full of pain.

"Why won't you kill me?" Kimimaro says.

Anko's chest tightens.

"Please..." The rims of Kimimaro's eyes darken; he closes his eyes, tears spilling over.

Anko steps closer. "Kimimaro."

She touches his arm, trying to offer him some modicum of comfort. He looks up at her with terrible eyes.

"Forgive me," Kimimaro says, and an explosion of bones slams her against the ground.

xXx

.

Someone screams. ANBU guards whirl around and see the prisoner grappling Anko, twisting her arm and shoving a shard of bone against her neck.

"Do not move," he says. Anko struggles but the bone digs into her neck. "Do not make me kill her."

"Teme!" Guards come running.

"Open the door," Kimimaro says.

The guard fumbles for the keys. Anko wheezes.

"Your weapons," Kimimaro says.

They toss them on the ground.

xXx

.

"This won't work!" Anko says. Kimimaro leaps through the trees, dragging his hostage with him. "They'll find us - they'll catch you and they'll kill you!"

Kimimaro reaches a clearing in the forest. The bone around Anko's neck retracts. She pitches forward, coughing and wheezing.

"Forgive me," Kimimaro says. He glances behind him, then fingers a kunai at his waist. "We are not too far from the village; you can make it back by nightfall."

"What?" Anko stares. "You're letting me go?"

Kimimaro turns his back toward her. "I apologize for my actions earlier," Kimimaro says. "I took advantage of your kindness. If it is any consolation I had no intention of hurting you."

The wind stirs, and Anko knows he is telling the truth. "And where do you think you're going?" Anko asks.

"To Orochimaru-sama." Kimimaro's voice sounds far away. "I am still alive. I still must serve him."

Anko's eyes narrow. "Then I'm coming too."

"What?" Kimimaro's eyes are wide.

"He kidnapped one of our genin. I intend to get him back," Anko says. Kimimaro stiffens.

"And how do you expect to do that?" Kimimaro says.

"Easy," Anko says. "You'll take me to him."

"You are in no position to bargain," Kimimaro says.

"Then you'll have to kill me," Anko says. She grips her kunai and takes a stance. "You caught me off guard before. Be assured that will not happen a second time."

Above them, a breeze stirs and the trees rustle slightly. Kimimaro stands before her, loosely holding the piece of bone.

He lowers his stance, then turns. "Killing a hostage would be inefficient," he says, finally. "There are doubtless more Konoha nin on the way."

Anko loosens her guard. "Then...?"

"We head north," Kimimaro says. He glances back at her. "I will not let you kill him," Kimimaro says. "Orochimaru-sama."

Anko glares. "And I won't let him take that child," Anko says.

They stand for a moment without saying anything. Finally Anko slips her kunai back into its holster and steps forward.

"Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: So, I initially set out to write a shippy Kimimaro/Anko fic, and yeah. This is what happened D: I'm marking this as gen for now. Not really sure where I'm going to go with this, so we'll see. Also: Anko being ANBU is just my personal head canon, I know in the manga and anime she wasn't ANBU at all, but I like to think she secretly was :) **

**I realize the premise is completely cracked out, but there you go XD**


	2. Taken Hostage

.

.

_"Anko. Are you still angry that I used you and threw you away?_"

Anko wakes with a start. She is leaning against an old log, and pieces of bark are stuck to her cheek. She reaches up and brushes it away, glaring.

"You let your guard down enough to sleep," Kimimaro says. He sits beside her, tossing a branch into the fire. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Tch." Anko glares. "I thought we decided killing me wasn't very useful."

"As I said, it was my every intention to let you go."

"Even if I'm a threat to your precious Orochimaru?" Anko says.

Kimimaro watches her, levelly. "You are not much of a threat," Kimimaro says.

"Kisama."

Kimimaro stirs the ashes, quietly. "You were having another nightmare," Kimimaro says. "You were talking in your sleep."

Anko pulls her coat tightly around herself, staring at the shadows on the ground. "I wouldn't know," Anko says. "I don't remember what I dream."

"I suppose most people do not."

"Hmph." Anko turns on her side, pulling the coat across her shoulders. "I wouldn't be so trusting," Anko says. "You might find yourself with a kunai against your throat."

"I expect as much," Kimimaro says. "The same can be said for you."

Anko glares again, but slowly drifts back to sleep.

xXx

.

They do not speak throughout the course of their journey, Kimimaro pushing forward while Anko struggles behind him, pushing through brambles and stumbling through the brush. "Teme. You're going too fast," Anko says.

Kimimaro glances back, but says nothing; doubtless he's hoping she'll give up and go home. Anko grits her teeth. "Bastard," Anko says, and she slashes at the branches with her kunai.

They reach a clearing, and Kimimaro reaches out and pulls out a few roots from the ground. Anko stares, at turns mystified and incredulous, as he takes the roots and twists them in half. "The hell are you doing?" Anko says. Kimimaro glances up.

"It is edible," Kimimaro says. Anko rolls her eyes and fishes out her rations from her pack. She tosses Kimimaro a package of stale crackers and gives him a pointed look.

Night falls, and Kimimaro starts a modest fire. Anko sits with her knees to her chin, watching as he tosses a few dry branches into the flame. This whole thing was her fault; if she hadn't felt sorry for him, she wouldn't be in this mess right now. _Stupid_, Anko thinks. She remembers how she reached out to him, and she can't help but feel a little bit betrayed.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Anko says. Kimimaro glances up. "Pretending to cry like that. You could have had the common decency to attack me head on."

"I was not pretending," Kimimaro says, quietly. He tosses in another branch. "Regardless, an opportunity presented itself. I only regret that I took advantage of you."

"Asshole," Anko says. Kimimaro frowns, but says nothing more.

Anko is too angry to sleep, so she rolls to her side and stares out into the dark. Around her, the night sounds are calm and there are fireflies glowing in the air. Kimimaro sleeps a few paces behind her, his body curled next to the flame.

She was an idiot. Angry tears begin to well up, but Anko swipes a fist against her eyes, setting her jaw.

No one in Konoha knew what it was like. No one could understand that draw, that feeling of belonging. To be wanted - special - and to have that ripped away. Stupidly she thought there was someone else who could share that pain, but of course she was wrong. Instead she got duped by one of Orochimaru's fucking subordinates, nearly choked to death when she went to hug him. "I'm a fucking moron," Anko says. Kimimaro stirs.

Why was she here? Anko furrows her brow. If she thinks about it clearly, it's obviously to rescue the Uchiha kid, and stick it to Orochimaru in the process. But then she glances back at Kimimaro, and a part of her grimaces at the thought that she's really coming to make sure he'll be okay, to be there to pick up the pieces when Orochimaru is through.

Idiot. She's a fucking idiot. Anko huffs and draws her coat closer around herself, irritated at the stupid fucking maternal instincts that have suddenly taken over her common sense.

_He'd better damn well appreciate this,_ Anko thinks. And then she finally closes her eyes.

xXx

.

_Orochimaru stepped forward, pressing a hand to the small of Anko's back. "Such a talented child," Orochimaru said. His voice was like silk, a low rumble in her ears. "Such a lovely girl."_

_She felt his fingertips gently trace the lines of her face, and Anko closed her eyes. His hands brushed back the hair from her neck, which was smooth and unmarred, and Anko shivered despite herself, the skin exposed to the cold night air._

A sharp pain shoots through the mark on Anko's neck, and she winces, suddenly. Kimimaro stops and turns.

"Are you all right?" Kimimaro asks.

"Fuck off," Anko says. She slaps her neck the way she would swat a mosquito, glaring. Kimimaro frowns.

"Does that mark always hurt?" Kimimaro asks.

"Sometimes," Anko says. She rubs her neck, irritated. "I never use the mark, so every once in a while the chakra builds up there. It feels like burning."

"Why do you not use the mark?"

"Because it could kill you," Anko says. "I already told you. That cough you've got is from that mark. It's on your chest, which is why it's affecting your lungs."

"I thought it was a Kaguya illness," Kimimaro says.

"It may be a part of it," Anko says. "But that mark isn't helping."

"I see," Kimimaro says.

They fall silent. Wordlessly they trudge through the woods, tramping through the brush underfoot.

"Hey, Kimimaro?"

Kimimaro turns.

"I wouldn't use that mark," Anko says. "There's too much power there. It's tearing you apart."

Kimimaro nods, gravely. "I will remember that," Kimimaro says. "Thank you, Anko-san."

xXx

.

_She stabs the kunai through her hand and his, pinning Orochimaru down. "You and I will die together," Anko says. "Ninpo..."_

_"Do you wish to commit suicide, Anko?"_

_The clone melts; behind her, Orochimaru laughs._

_"Useless," Orochimaru says. "You were always so useless. I only regret wasting my time."_

_Anko whirls around but the forest around her bleeds, then bends; kunai flash through the air_.

She wakes to Kimimaro shaking her roughly by the shoulder, jerking upright and sitting up from the ground.

"You were having another nightmare," Kimimaro says. Anko draws her legs to her chest and wipes her face, then is surprised to feel the wetness at her cheek: she had been crying. Kimimaro watches her, silently.

"It's nothing," Anko says. "It's just--"

Anko cries out, the mark on her neck burning, suddenly.

Kimimaro rushes forward, then presses a hand to her neck. She can feel healing chakra swirling around her mark.

Slowly, the pain begins to fade until there's nothing but a dull ache. "Healing chakra," Kimimaro says. Anko notices his hand is still pressed against her skin. "I learned a little to help with my disease. I hope this helped."

Anko nods, and feels a slight twinge of disappointment when Kimimaro moves his hand.


	3. A Life Without Bonds

.

.

_In the darkness, Kimimaro could barely make out Kabuto's form as he sat across the monitor. It had been days since Kimimaro's first collapse, and Kabuto worked tirelessly to get him well._

_A shadow fell, and Kimimaro blinked to see Orochimaru hovering over him._

_"Kimimaro-kun," Orochimaru said. "It seems you have reached your limit."_

_"Forgive me..." Kimimaro coughed, flecks of blood spattering the white sheets. Orochimaru frowned._

_In the mirror, Kimimaro could just make out his face. Blue-veined lids and skin the color of a runny egg, his maro mayu standing out like twin drops of blood. He was beautiful once. Useful. The vessel of Orochimaru's dreams._

_"I am afraid you are of no use to me, Kimimaro-kun." Orochimaru glided toward the end of the bed, trailing a hand against the sheets as he moved. "I thought you would grow into something beautiful. A pity that I was wrong." _

xXx

.

Kimimaro wakes to the feel of someone squirming against him, and he just barely has enough wits about him to realize it's Anko.

"Move," Anko says. She pushes up against the mat, roughly pushing against his arm.

"What--?" Kimimaro can barely get the words out when Anko situates herself against his back, her chest pressing against his shoulderblades.

"It's cold," Anko says. Her arms slide around his waist, and he hears her exhale a little. "Move over a little."

Kimimaro's eyes widen. "O-oi!"

Her arms slide up against his bare skin; her skin feels like ice. Kimimaro vaults upward, pushing Anko aside in the process.

"Dammit," Anko says, and she practically yanks him back down. "I don't bite. Lie _down_."

He feels her press an insistent hand against his shoulder, and he stiffly lies back onto his side. Slowly, he feels her curl up against him, pressing up against his back.

"You do realize I am your enemy, correct?" Kimimaro says. Anko makes an irritated noise and grips him harder.

"Fine," Kimimaro says. "Just do not be angry with me in the morning."

xXx

.

Time passes, and when her breathing evens, Kimimaro knows she is asleep. Awkwardly he turns on his side to face her, shifting her body against his chest. She is smaller than he would have originally supposed, and feather-light in his arms. It is a strange sensation, Kimimaro thinks. While she was awake, she would rage around the forest like a wounded bull, bellowing through the treetops and charging with reckless abandon. But now, sleeping here, Kimimaro can see just how small she really is. Gently, Kimimaro shifts her closer, softly tracing the line of her jaw, the delicate bones of her wrist and arm, fragile and birdlike and easily breakable in his hands. _A shinobi_, Kimimaro thinks, and he closes his eyes.

He is a shinobi. He, whose body is indestructible, whose shield of bone can withstand even the greatest of assaults, is suddenly overwhelmed with the terrible realization that this woman is _not_ indestructible, she is not unbreakable, she is soft and vulnerable and utterly, horribly alone.

Anko breathes and burrows against him in her sleep; Kimimaro hitches her close, curling around her and pressing her against his chest. He shields her from the cold with his body, pressing his face into the crown of her hair.

xXx

.

_A sliver of light pours through the crack in the door, and Kimimaro creeps forward, pulling the robe against his chest. He is still young - not quite seven - but the people are already speaking about him in furtive whispers._

_"He cannot stay here." The council of elders crowd around the rickety table, partially obscuring the lamplight at the center of the room. "He is already beginning to manifest. We must contain him for our village's sake."_

_Kimimaro pulls back, hiding against the wall. He did a bad thing. His shoulder had dislocated and somehow his bone had shoved through the skin. He didn't mean to scare the others. He wouldn't do it again, he promised...._

_The door opens, and large hands grab Kimimaro roughly. "Wait!" Kimimaro says. He squirms but they grip him tight. "Please, I didn't mean it!"_

_"Monster!" He's being shoved, pulled in all directions, there's noises and voices and Kimimaro can't think, Kimimaro can't breathe, and when the bones explode he doesn't_ mean _to._

_His shoulder cracks as he slams onto the ground, the iron door slamming behind him._

_He is not quite seven years old. _

xXx

.

"I'm not attracted to you," Anko says.

Kimimaro stops. "What?"

Anko scowls, crossing her arms. "You heard me," Anko says. She pushes past him, hard. "Walking around with your shirt half open. It's fucking indecent."

"It is warm," Kimimaro says. "And must you always insist on verbalizing every thought that crosses your mind?"

Anko flips him the finger, a few paces ahead of him. Kimimaro sighs. "No better than a child," Kimimaro says. He catches up to her, retaking the lead.

Hours pass. Kimimaro shields his eyes, squinting and staring at the horizon. They are only a few days' trek from Orochimaru's hideout, but he decides to turn eastward, following the path of the river. Doing so would add at least a few days to the journey, and hopefully by then Kimimaro will have figured out what to do.

The woman is troublesome. Kimimaro had hoped she would have turned back by now, but her loud insistence that she keep going makes Kimimaro uneasy. "You should turn back," Kimimaro says.

"What?" Anko stumbles, swearing softly to herself. She swats at an invisible fly and glares at him. "The hell do you mean, turn back?"

"I mean turn back now, before Orochimaru-sama catches you," Kimimaro says. He turns his back to her, staring at the horizon. "He is nearing his transformation. If you interfere, I am not sure I can ensure your safety."

Anko scowls. "I don't need you to protect me," Anko says. She pushes past him, purposely knocking into his shoulder as she does. "I can take care of myself."

"I find that rather doubtful," Kimimaro says.

"Oi! Just because you _tricked_ me and dragged me out here--"

"You dragged yourself out here. I told you I'd let you go," Kimimaro says.

"Whatever," Anko says. She pulls out a kunai, slashing at the brush. "I'm an ANBU captain. Show a little respect."

Kimimaro watches her, carefully. "I have been meaning to ask you about that," Kimimaro says.

"About what?" Anko says.

"Your captainhood," Kimimaro says. "Your taijutsu is lacking and your ninja abilities are less than inspired. I find it hard to believe someone of your ability can ascend to the ranks."

Anko face darkens. "Teme," Anko says. "You don't know anything about me."

"Don't I?" Kimimaro watches her, quietly.

"I was Orochimaru's chosen. Do not take me lightly," Anko says. Kimimaro shakes his head.

"You wear chain-mail head to toe, as if you are expecting to be struck," Kimimaro says, quietly. "Your stances are weak and your movements are reckless. And that you cover yourself with that coat shows an insecurity you are unwilling to face." He peers into her face, waiting for an answer. "Am I not wrong?"

"Teme!" Snakes explode from Anko's sleeve; Kimimaro barely has time to dodge.

"You summoned his snakes." Kimimaro stares, incredulous. "I was told only a sharingan user could emulate Orochimaru-sama's techniques."

"Hmph." Anko tucks her sleeve back. "To answer your question, I am a tokubetsu jounin. That is to say, I specialize in only one area. My taijutsu and genjutsu may not be formidible, but my ninjutsu is on par with any of the eye techniques in my village. They called me a genius, in my time."

"I see," Kimimaro says. Suddenly he understands exactly why Orochimaru had taken a liking to her: to master such advanced techniques without the advantage of having a dojutsu was beyond anything he had ever seen. "You are quite formidible, Anko-san," Kimimaro says, finally. "I apologize for doubting you."

"Good." Anko seems pleased. "So where the hell are we going, anyway? I thought we were heading north?"

xXx

.

They set up camp near the river, Kimimaro starting a modest fire while Anko curses and swears, trying to catch the fish nearby.

"Fucking impossible," Anko says. She sits heavily on a log, sagging, slightly. "I'm _starving_. I'm all skin and bones."

Kimimaro tosses a branch into the fire. Anko stretches and yawns, curling up on her side. "Hey, Kimimaro?"

"Hmm?"

"You really think my chain-mail's overdoing it?" She props herself up on her elbows, watching him with wide eyes.

"It is a bit excessive, yes," Kimimaro says. "You would probably move better without it."

"Huh." Anko stares at the fire, and Kimimaro can't help but notice how the firelight flickers softly on her face. "I guess it is a little silly. Like a security blanket. But it doesn't keep you from getting hurt." Anko's face darkens, slightly. "When Orochimaru defected from the village, a lot of people were killed. I only survived because I was wearing this."

"Perhaps he spared you because you were his pupil," Kimimaro says. Anko glares.

"I don't understand how you can follow that man," Anko says. "You're not even his vessel anymore, you don't owe him anything--"

"I owe him _everything_," Kimimaro says. He stares at his hands. "Orochimaru-sama believed in me. Without him, I would be nothing."

"Would you be happy?" Anko says. She stares at the fire, the orange firelight flickering softly. "With him, I mean. Does he make you happy?"

Kimimaro watches the flame. "I don't know," Kimimaro says.

xXx

.

She falls asleep, and Kimimaro watches the rise and fall of her belly, the slow, rhythmic movement of her breath. Her eyelids flutter like butterfly's wings, and Kimimaro can't help but think that she looks beautiful.

If she were an enemy, he would better know how to deal with her - not these complicated emotions, not this pang of regret. He thinks of Orochimaru and how he used her, too.

She was not made to be used. Not like him. She is broken and battered inside, and quietly he wonders if she would always be alone.


	4. Betrayal

.

.

_"To be needed by someone. That alone caused my body to move. And then I understood I had to fight in order to survive..."_

It's early morning, and Anko sits with her knees to her chin, thinking about what Kimimaro had told her during those first few weeks he was detained. The fire has gone out and the ashes smolder in front of her; above her, the soft sounds of birds starts to rise. They are only a few days away from Orochimaru's hideout, but they are at a standstill; Anko can't shake the feeling that they've been walking in circles.

They trudge silently along the edge of the riverbank, Kimimaro walking two paces ahead of her, and Anko wondering what she'll do.

xXx

_._

_The streets of Konoha were empty, its citizens already having gone to bed. Anko walked, hands stuffed down her pockets, keeping her eyes lowered on the ground. The sulfur glow of the streetlamps puddled on the black pavement, which was glistening from the evening's rain, and as Anko walked her footsteps echoed quietly in the cold night air._

_Orochimaru had defected just days earlier, and the citizens of the Leaf gave Anko a wide berth. Around her, furtive whispers of "traitor" and "monster" filtered through the crowd._

_"Take me with you," Anko said. Kunai exploded and Anko pleaded. "Orochimaru. I will serve you until the end. Please..."_

_His mouth stretched into a lazy grin. Slowly, he reached a hand and fondled the line of Anko's jaw._

_"Child," Orochimaru said, and Anko trembled inwardly. He knelt beside her, whispered into her ear._

_"You are of no use to me."_

_Anko's eyes widened. "Orochimaru-sama."_

_The knife that came stunned Anko into silence. Shaking, she looked down at her side and saw blood; it dripped down the handle of the knife._

_Orochimaru grinned, then leaped forward, disappearing into the dark._

xXx

_._

"So this is Orochimaru's camp," Anko says. She kneels at the top of the hill, looking down at the cave below them. Behind her, she hears Kimimaro's footsteps in the grass.

Anko looks up. Kimimaro is standing; there's something in his eyes.

Anko starts to rise. "Kimimaro. What's wrong?" Anko says.

The blow that comes takes Anko by surprise. She staggers backward, her hand flying to her mouth.

Kimimaro's eyes narrow. "You have threatened to kill Orochimaru-sama," Kimimaro says. He steps forward. "Did you really think I would let you go?"

The blow slams into her face. Anko's head is knocked sideways; blood trickles down the corner of her mouth.

"Why are you doing this?" Anko says.

Kimimaro breaks away, a shard of bone ripping through his skin. He grabs it and swings, the crescent of bone like a katana in the air. Anko moves but she's not fast enough; Anko screams, the blunt end of the bone smashing her hand.

"Trash," Kimimaro says. "I am through wasting my time."

Anko folds up into herself, clutching her hand, which is mangled and bleeding. She looks up at Kimimaro, who is standing just a few paces ahead of her, and despite herself she starts to cry.

"Kimimaro," Anko says. She staggers upright. "_Kimimaro_!"

Anko launches forward and spins into a kick; Kimimaro dodges it, then slams his fist into Anko's chest. Her eyes widen. Blood bubbles up from her mouth.

"Why?" Anko says. She collapses again, coughing and clutching her chest."_Why?_"

Kimimaro stands over her, his shadow falling over her frame.

"Go home," Kimimaro says.

Anko struggles to stay awake, but the pain is too much; the image blurs, and Anko falls, passing out on the ground.

xXx

_._

She wakes in darkness, the soft night sounds surrounding the forest above her.

Anko rolls to her side and pushes herself upright. Her shoulder wrenches, and Anko grits her teeth in pain. With difficulty, she holds her hand up to the light; it is bloody and mangled, the bruised half-moons of her fingertips painfully swollen. _So I can't make hand seals,_ she thinks. Kimimaro is nowhere to be found.

Anko heaves, then pushes herself up, gripping the trunk of a tree for support. Just below the crest of the hill, she can just make out the dim glow of fire from Orochimaru's camp.

_So this is how it is_, Anko thinks. She thinks of the Uchiha kid, and the rest of Konoha behind her. She grits her teeth and stands.

She's come this far. She only needs to crest the hill, and make the slow trek back down.


	5. A Desperate Act

.

.

The slope he crests gives way to a vast expanse, and Kimimaro's pace begins to slow. His body aches. It makes sense when he realizes he's been moving on sheer willpower alone, and the exertions of subduing Anko a few hours earlier had taken its toll.

She had been crying. Blocking his attacks as best she could, one arm hanging uselessly by her side, she flipped and dodged and charged forward, movements desperate and wild and blinded with tears. It hurt him. Thinking back to it now, bowed against the cold and watching the plume of his breath spiraling into the cold air, Kimimaro knows there was no other way. She would have been killed, either by the nin of the Sound, who kept guard around the periphery, or by Orochimaru-sama himself. He thinks of the things he said to her, and knows full well that it was for the best - it would be easier for her if she hated him. He acted in the only way he could.

And then he wonders if she is okay.

For a long moment, Kimimaro stands at the cliff's edge, silently debating if he should turn back. Then he sets his jaw and turns, willing himself to keep moving forward.

xXx

.

Anko binds her ribs. Grimacing, she pulls the bandages tight, taking in a sharp breath as she tugs the bandages around her.

Everything hurts. Leaning heavily against a tree, Anko heaves and fumbles for her pack, her fingers clumsily reaching for the soldier pills she keeps for emergencies. Shakily, she pulls out the bottle and rips the cap off with her teeth. One pill rolls, a perfect sphere, and Anko crushes it between her teeth. Almost instantly, she can feel the warming chakra pulse through her body, coming over her in waves. It makes the pain almost bearable.

Anko empties her pack and takes stock of her belongings: four kunai, a few senbon. Several exploding tags and a half-torn summoning scroll. Her hand is contracted from the crush injury earlier, so she knows she will not be able to use her ninjutsu at all.

Anko concentrates her chakra into her good palm, and with effort, tries to heal her hand. The chakra wavers, then thins. Anko grits her teeth and pulls her hand away.

Orochimaru's camp is just below her. She leans heavily against the tree, silently watching the small spots of light flicker in the distance. She has surprise on her side, unless Kimimaro has warned them first.

Anko comes to a decision. She has already come this far. Gripping the tree, she stands, and in the dark, begins to descend the slope of the hill.

xXx

.

"Kimimaro-kun. You are alive." Kabuto seems genuinely surprised as Kimimaro pushes himself through the archway, the torchlight above them casting a muted orange glow.

"Where is the vessel?" Kimimaro asks. Kabuto smiles.

"He is already at the northern checkpoint. Orochimaru-sama has decreed that he start training immediately. We will rendezvous with them shortly."

"I see," Kimimaro says. He starts to cough, bending forward and pressing his hand to his mouth.

"You are at your limit, Kimimaro-kun," Kabuto says. "Don't you think it would be better if you'd just die?"

Kabuto's eyes are unreadable, obscured by the light reflecting off his glasses. Then Kabuto smiles. "I only mean to say you are pushing yourself for no reason," Kabuto says. "Orochimaru-sama has his vessel. You deserve your rest. And besides," and Kabuto leans forward, his voice dropping low. "We no longer have any reason to keep you alive."

"Hai," Kimimaro says. He coughs again.

"Orochimaru-sama would be disgusted to see such a pitiful sight," Kabuto says. He turns away, disinterested. "Perhaps you should leave now, before you disgrace yourself in his presence."

Kimimaro lowers his eyes.

"Orochimaru-sama has achieved his dream without me," Kimimaro says. "I only wish I could atone for my uselessness."

Kabuto stops, then turns. "I will let him know you're here," Kabuto says.

xXx

.

Kimimaro follows Kabuto down the winding hall, silently plotting the course for Anko. It has been more than a few hours since he last saw her; she should be conscious by now, and if heaven allows, on her way back to Konoha. He had only injured her enough so that she would not be able to fight; she should be able to travel just fine. Even if he has failed his purpose, he did succeed in one thing. He is thankful he was able to protect her.

Then he remembers the hurt in her eyes, and Kimimaro feels ashamed.

"What is it?" Kabuto asks. Kimimaro looks up.

"Nothing," Kimimaro says. He lowers his eyes. "I was just thinking of how I failed Orochimaru-sama. It makes me feel ashamed."

"Ah," Kabuto says. He seems to be taking an almost perverse glee in baiting him. "Do not beat yourself up, Kimimaro-kun. With that body of yours, it is to be expected that you cannot do as much."

"Hai," Kimimaro says. Almost reflexively he thinks back to Anko and how she had clung to him that night in the cold.

His chest tightens. It doesn't matter, he thinks. Soon he will die, and rid the world of his miserable existence. He takes a breath, then follows Kabuto resolutely down the hall.

xXx

.

Kunai whistle through the air, then strike the sentry in the back. The sentry falls, and quickly Anko crouches forward, lifting his katana from his side.

"Oi!"

Anko whirls. The katana flashes. Two strikes and the other sentries are down.

Anko slowly rises, the steel of the blade dripping with the other men's blood. She takes a breath, then traces the metal edge with her fingers.

Kabuto looks up. There are sounds of fighting outside. "What is this?" Kabuto says. Kimimaro's face pales.

_Anko..._

In the courtyard, Anko charges, her katana swinging. Stabs through the gut of one man, she whirls and slices through the next. Two men fall.

"Oi!" they say. "Stop her!"

Anko bursts into a run. She rounds a corner, and nearly skids to a stop when she sees the coterie of Sound nin begin to surround her.

"Teme..." Anko whips around, gritting her teeth and raising her katana. She's outnumbered, and her body is starting to give way.

"It looks like I have no choice," Anko says, and the cursed mark begins to glow on her shoulder.

The soldiers all pull back. Anko feels her skin begin to change, the whites of her eyes begin to blacken. Power flows through her, wrapping her like a vice, and the chakra builds like a coiled spring: Anko explodes. She is a burst of energy; she is fire, unstoppable, swinging and killing and a constant whir. There is the sound of contact, of muscle breaking through skin; bones crunch; men fall, and in the center of it all, Anko blurs.

And then Kabuto stands and claps his hands.

Anko looks up. Kabuto is standing at the doorway, a twisted smile on his face. Anko grits her teeth. "Teme." The cursed mark burns, and she springs forward -

And then there is nothing but pain.

Anko gasps and falls to her knees, the cursed mark receding back to her shoulder. Kabuto steps forward, grinning.

"This seal is incomplete," Kabuto says. He steps forward, yanks Anko up by the arm. "Did you really think you were so powerful?"

A thin film of sweat forms on Anko's brow. "It doesn't matter," Anko says. Kabuto tilts his head. A shadow falls over Anko's eyes. "As long as I kill him, none of it does."

The knee to the gut knocks the wind from Anko's lungs, and she doubles over, agonized. Kabuto sniffs, annoyed.

"Orochimaru-sama will not take kindly to this," Kabuto says. He yanks her upright, then pulls her inside.

xXx

.

Kimimaro stands by the window, searching the dark for any sign of Anko outside. The sound of fighting has stopped. _"I know what it's like to be abandoned," Anko said. "I will be here once you've come to terms with it."_

"Kimimaro."

Kimimaro looks up and sees Orochimaru at the doorway. Kimimaro bows.

"Orochimaru-sama. I have returned," Kimimaro says. Orochimaru smiles.

"My child," Orochimaru says. "Come. Be with me while I see the intruder Kabuto has taken."

Kimimaro raises his eyes.

xXx

.

They push Anko forward, and she stumbles and slams her shoulder against the wall. There is no outward sign of emotion as Kimimaro watches Anko struggle, but inside Kimimaro is afraid.

"She killed six of our men, and injured a seventh," Kabuto says. "What should we do with her?"

Orochimaru steps forward, then presses a hard knuckle to Anko's cheek. "Such a stupid child," Orochimaru says. He twists her chin upwards, as if to examine her under the torchlight. Then he rears up and smacks Anko across the face.

Kimimaro takes a sharp breath. Anko's knocked sideways, and there's nothing elegant about the way her cheek reddens, or the way she nearly pitches toward the side.

"A waste," Orochimaru says. "You were a child with so much promise. A pity I was wrong."

Anko sags. Orochimaru turns.

"Kimimaro," Orochimaru says. Kimimaro startles, then looks upward. Orochimaru's mouth stretches into a lazy smile.

"Take care of this," Orochimaru says. He moves and shuts the door, Kabuto following after.

xXx

.

Kimimaro glances behind him, then quickly kneels by Anko's side. He pulls at the bindings around her hands.

"Are you all right?" Kimimaro asks.

"Don't _touch_ me," Anko says. She squirms but Kimimaro manages to hold her down.

"You have every right to be angry with me," Kimimaro says. His hands untie the knots, then pulls at the rope around her arms. "But please understand I did it to protect you."

The rope comes loose. Anko brings her hands forward, wincing at the red marks across her wrists. Then she rears up and attempts to hit him.

"You tried to kill me!" Anko says.

"I told you, it was to keep you from coming here."

"I _trusted_ you!" Anko says, and she goes to strike him. They struggle, then Anko starts to cry.

"Listen to me," Kimimaro says. He manages to grab her by the wrist, and wrenches her arm back down. "Anko. _Listen_."

Anko sags, and in the dim light he can see her face stained with blood and tears. Something inside him breaks, then, and whatever tenderness and self-hatred he kept suppressed suddenly comes to the surface. "I only said those things so you would hate me," Kimimaro says. He searches Anko's face, desperately. "I never wanted you to come."

There are footsteps in the hall, and Kimimaro pulls back, reflexively. A moment passes, but there's nothing. Kimimaro grips Anko's arm.

"Listen to me," Kimimaro says. "Orochimaru-sama does not know about us. You could attack me, and he would not be the wiser."

"I don't understand," Anko says, and Kimimaro presses a kunai to her palm.

"I am weak," Kimimaro says. "My body moves by my will alone. You could take advantage of that. I am already less than nothing in their eyes; it is conceivable that I could fail to kill you."

"You want me to attack you?" Anko says.

"Yes," Kimimaro says. He grips her hand.

Anko lifts her head. There's something unreadable in her eyes as she turns the kunai over in her hands. "I'm sorry," Anko whispers. Then she stabs the kunai against Kimimaro's chest.

The pain jolts Kimimaro forward, then he doubles over, clutching his chest and coughing. "Kimimaro!" Anko is stricken.

"I am fine," Kimimaro says. He struggles to keep breathing. "There is a tunnel. Take that and it will lead you outside."

Anko hesitates a moment, before turning to stand. She glances back at Kimimaro, hesitantly.

"It is okay," Kimimaro says. He coughs again, gripping his chest. "I do not have long for this world, anyway."

"Kimimaro," Anko says. A door slams. Anko whirls around.

"Go," Kimimaro says. Anko looks at him for one last time.

"Thank you," Anko says, and Kimimaro watches as she disappears down the hall.


	6. End

.

.

_"I will be the one who makes you feel. Anguish. Sorrow. Regret. Everything. And only then you will be mine."_

.

The road to Konoha is a long one, and it's only when she returns to the river that she sees the ANBU rescue squad ahead. "Taichou!"

Anko looks up. The recovery team rushes toward her. "Taichou! We've been searching for days! Where is the prisoner?"

Anko shakes her head, then closes her eyes.

xXx

.

"Kimimaro. You have failed to take my vessel, and you have failed to kill that girl. It seems that your usefulness is starting to fade."

Kimimaro keeps his eyes lowered as Orochimaru speaks, staring resolutely at the ground. "A shame," Orochimaru says. He reaches a calloused hand and touches the side of Kimimaro's cheek. "I have no need for such a broken boy."

Orochimaru kneels beside him, his face just a finger's breadth away from his.

"Shall I send you to the afterlife, Kimimaro-kun?" Orochimaru's voice drips like honey, whispering in his ear. "Shall I put an end to your shame?"

Kimimaro sets his jaw, staring at the ground.

Orochimaru flows back to his full height, then smiles, pulling at his robe. "Did you love her?" Orochimaru says. "Kimimaro-kun?"

Kimimaro looks up at him with darkened eyes. "She needed me," Kimimaro says. Orochimaru smiles.

"I see," Orochimaru says. And then he starts to laugh, cruel and low and echoing throughout the hall.

xXx

.

She is in the hospital for nearly two weeks, her chakra depleted past a critical point. Shizune works tirelessly, tending to Anko's wounds as Tsunade works on finding a cure for Anko's cursed scar. "Everything in time," Tsunade says. She helps Anko sit upright, healing chakra flowing through her wounds.

The report Anko submits is a thin one: she had unsuccessfully infiltrated Orochimaru's hideout, the Uchiha child was already gone, and the escaped prisoner is presumed to have died. "You did the best you could," Iruka says. He doesn't question her when he sees the tears fill her eyes.

Anko takes a month's leave to recuperate. It is an autumn day, and the sky is a dark curtain threatening to rain. Quietly, Anko goes to the requisitions locker and unlocks the items that had been in Kimimaro's cell: several scraps of charcoal drawings, a half-hewn rock carving. A piece of bone, blunted from scraping it against the stone cell walls. Anko picks up the bone piece in her hand, and her face wrenches. Tears fall, and her hand trembles when she reaches to wipe them away.

The items are no longer needed for evidence, and are scheduled for routine incineration. Quietly, Anko slips the piece of bone in her pocket, locking the door and making official notation that she is taking it with her. "For personal inquiry," is the reason. In her pocket, she turns the bone over in her hand.

xXx

.

"Oi! Tenten! You're going too fast!"

Anko sits at the training grounds, watching the genin teams train. Quietly she takes out the piece of bone and rolls it between her fingers. It has become a habit, a morbid sort of worry stone; she isn't paying attention when the shuriken sails toward her.

"Anko-sensei!"

Anko dodges, but the movement is too fast, and the bone goes flying. Tenten and Neji rush toward her. "I'm so sorry!" Tenten says, but Anko pushes past them both, panic rising in her chest. She can't find the bone anywhere.

"Sensei?" Neji and Tenten stand hesitently, before Anko whips her head up and snarls.

"Go _home_," Anko says. The two genin hesitate a moment, before running off the grounds.

When they're gone, Anko falls on her knees, searching through the grass. Her movements grow frantic as she feels the panic rising in her throat.

"Shit," Anko says. She searches harder, hands desperately groping the ground. "Shit, shit, _shit_."

She turns hard, and in her frustration nearly knocks into the man standing behind her.

Anko's eyes widen. Slowly, Kimimaro kneels, taking her hand and pressing the piece of bone into her palm.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end. LOL. ****Thanks everyone for reading! ****Hopefully the denouement wasn't too abrupt, I just really wanted to finish this story before my work obligations start kicking in. The opening quote is from Genshiken episode 2.05, which is a fantastic series. Everybody should watch it if they can. Also, in regards to the lack of hugs/kisses/fluff, I *do* have a pr0ny oneshot in this same universe - I'm just debating whether or not I should post it separately or post it as a bonus!oneshot at the end of this story XD So yeah. W00t. **


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